hATTR-PN

Among people carrying Val30Met (V30M), the most common cause of familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), those experiencing symptoms have significantly higher blood levels of inflammation markers than those without signs of the rare inherited disease, a study showed. Symptomatic carriers were also found to have higher activity of neutrophils, a…

Familial amyloid neuropathy (FAP) caused by a mutation in the TTR gene called Ala97Ser is associated with a later onset of symptoms, which most commonly involve numbness in the feet or hands. That’s according to new data from 21 Ala97Ser-associated FAP cases in mainland China, compiled in the largest…

It’s been nearly a month since the charity I lead, the New Zealand Amyloidosis Patients Association (NZAPA), held a conference for patients and caregivers. The two-day event was made possible by the active participation of those living with various types of amyloidosis, including hereditary ATTR (hATTR), wild-type, and AL…

A specialized MRI technique known as the variable echo time (vTE) sequence may help identify structural changes in nerves linked to damage in individuals with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), according to a recent study. Additionally, a parameter of the vTE MRI sequence called short T2-weighted imaging was identified as…

Researchers have developed a point-of-care diagnostic device to quickly detect a genetic mutation known to cause hereditary ATTR amyloidosis, a group of diseases that includes familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), in a blood sample. In a study involving six people, the device was used to identify V142I, a mutation…

A higher proportion of fat in the tissue that surrounds peripheral nerves, as assessed with a noninvasive MRI scan, may be a new diagnostic biomarker of familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), a study showed. This measure, called intraepineurial fat fraction (ieFF), may indicate nerve fiber replacement by fat tissue and subsequent…

A one-time gene-editing therapy from Intellia Therapeutics led to a sustained, near-complete reduction in blood levels of the disease-causing transthyretin (TTR) protein in adults with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), easing symptoms or preventing them from worsening for up to two years. The data come from 36 FAP patients…

Long-term oral treatment with tafamidis meglumine safely helped maintain nerve function, quality of life, nutritional status, and mobility in people living with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) in Japan, according to a real-world study. “This study sheds lights on the real-world safety and efficacy of tafamidis in patients who…

A protein called glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is found at higher levels in the blood of people with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), even before symptoms appear, relative to healthy people, a study finds. Also, blood levels of a protein called neurofilament light chain (NfL) were elevated only in…

Sudoscan, a test used to indirectly assess small nerve fiber damage through sweat gland function, may be a marker of disease severity and progression in people with hereditary transthyretin (ATTRv) amyloidosis, a group of diseases that includes familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP). That’s according to a small study in Italy that also showed…